Announcing winners of the Best Bike Hour video prize(s)

Here is one last post about Bike Hour, before I return to core business (writing on cycling as it impacts architecture and urban design). It is to announce the Mike Rubbo award for the best Bike Hour video. Before we look at Mike’s choices and comments, I’ll let you know Mike has himself spent much of his life as a professional documentary film maker, before concentrating more on his art, in recent years. Like all artists, it’s fair to say, he takes every idea coming to him with both hands and then runs. Consider his enthusiasm for eAssist bikes:

But to the art prize. I’ll admit some disappointment about the number of entries. 1000+ people accepted invitations to ride in Bike Hour. I lost count of the facebook messages, blog comments and tweets telling of tiny, small and medium size rides all over the world, many in places one rarely thinks of: Malta, for instance! A guy in Phoenix Arizona went for a ride that spelled b-hour. Radio stations, newspapers and blogs gave Bike Hour far more of a run than I could have possibly hoped for (I’ll update my media page shortly, for you to see). Yet despite all that, there was an underwhelming response to my call for videos. We have all seen what disappointment can do to narcissists like me, when social media doesn’t do exactly as we command (poor Jason), which is why I’ll be drinking a litre of water an hour, until all this settles down.

Mike gave commendations to Tom from Singapore for advertising that country’s little known bikeways, and Vicki from Newcastle for her nice use of captions and broad coverage of the mustering that went on in and around Newcastle Harbour.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS3ywsldo4U

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_mOxlYl5eU&feature=youtu.be

A special runner up prize of a small artwork has been awarded to Marcin Piotrowski of the Wolny Rower (slow and free cycling) blog in Krakow in Poland, for the intriguing glimpse he has given us of that hidden gem of a city. Did you know Australia’s Mt Kosciuszko is named after a mound in Krakow! Marcin admits not everyone in his video may have been consciously observing Bike Hour—but who can be sure!

First prize goes to Michael Newton, with the following comments from Mike: “His film had a clear message, good identification with the event. Also Interesting camera angles . I liked esp the crank shot. Lastly, good use of music with nice change of tone as the video picks up speed. Closes pretty well with shots of other riders and bikes.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJpU2UYa5lk&feature=youtu.be

Don’t feel too bad if your video was uploaded too late for us rush-merchants to consider it, or if it didn’t get picked. Mike’s artworks are reasonably priced, and eminently collectable artefacts representing a moment in history when Dutch style cycling is being discovered elsewhere. But don’t take my word for it: visit Mike’s site.